Elderly advocates are slamming a decision by Ontario’s long-term care inquiry not to examine two additional criminal investigations into serial murderer Elizabeth Wettlaufer, details the commission knew for more than year before informing groups taking part in the inquiry.

Advocates for the elderly are slamming a decision by Ontario’s long-term care inquiry not to examine two additional criminal investigations into serial murderer Elizabeth Wettlaufer, details the commission knew for more than year before informing groups taking part in the inquiry.

Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC) – an advocacy group for the more than 70,000 people in long-term care in the province – submitted a motion earlier this month asking the inquiry to force Woodstock police, London police and the OPP to hand over materials from any criminal investigations in which Wettlaufer was the subject.

The motion comes after the ex-nurse, while serving life in prison for killing eight elderly residents in her care and harming several others, told her jailers in early 2018 that she’d tried to hurt two more residents, including one at London’s Meadow Park nursing home.

The bombshell admission prompted police investigations, but did not result in further charges against her.

Commissioner Eileen Gillese returned a decision Tuesday, declining to issue a summons to the police forces to hand over details about other investigations involving Wettlaufer, the worst health-care killer in Canadian history.

“If you don’t have all the facts, I think it will be a more challenging report. We want to make sure that the report Gillese delivers is full and inclusive and we’re concerned that all of the evidence is not before her,” said Laura Tamblyn Watts, chief public policy officer for CARP, the largest advocacy group for elderly in Canada.

The long-term care homes public inquiry – announced the same day Wettlaufer was sentenced to life in prison in June 2017 – is a lengthy investigation into her crimes and the circumstances, policies and procedures that may have allowed them to go undetected.

Examining Wettlaufer’s latest admissions, even if they didn’t result in charges by police, is relevant to the public inquiry, OARC executive director Dee Lender said.

“Out of the principle of transparency and respect for the purpose of a true public inquiry to examine all evidence that led to the catastrophic crimes, we wished for a different outcome,” she said in an email.

“While we are disappointed with the commission’s decision, we respectfully accept it.”

The commission was notified in January 2018 that Wettlaufer told staff at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener she had attempted to harm two other nursing home residents and that police investigations were underway.

One of the residents was identified as Florence Beedall. In her statement, Wettlaufer said she had injected Beedall with insulin hours before her final murder, 75-year-old Arpad Horvath at Meadow Park nursing home in London August 2014.

The commission was told in December 2018 the police investigations into Wettlaufer’s claims were complete and no additional charges would be laid against her.

Participants in the inquiry weren’t notified about Wettlaufer’s new admission until Feb. 4, 2019.

In her decision, Gillese said disclosing that another police probe involving Wettlaufer was underway wasn’t an option since It would interfere with an ongoing investigation or legal proceeding, expressly forbidden under the specific terms of reference for the inquiry.

“To have so much as acknowledged publicly that the new statement had been made would have been a breach of that prohibition,” Gillese said in her decision.

Ontario Nurses Association president Vicki McKenna, whose organization supported OARC’s motion, said it’s deeply concerning the inquiry proceeded with public hearings last summer without any word of the ongoing police investigations.

“It just doesn’t seem right,” she said. “Just knowing that there was knowledge . . . There was time to bring this in and they didn’t, they chose not to. I find that very disheartening, particularly for residents and their families.”

In her 21-page decision, Gillese said the additional police investigations were outside the scope of the inquiry, which was directed to investigate the eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault of which Wettlaufer is convicted.

Counsel for the inquiry opposed OARC’s motion, saying there was little to be gained from examining the additional investigations – which include statements and allegations not tested in court – and much to be lost by the delays the last-minute addition would cause.

The lawyer who represented the families of many of Wettlaufer’s victims at the inquiry said the decision not to include the two additional police investigations hasn’t undermined his view of the multi-year investigation.

“Could other witnesses have been called to give evidence? Perhaps. Would their testimony have provided significantly new or contradictory information? I have no reason to believe that it would,” Paul Scott said in an email.

“My confidence in the Gillese inquiry has in no way been shaken by the events that have come to light post-hearing, and I look forward to reading the full report.”

The inquiry is being prepared and formatted in both official languages. The commission will produce its final report to the provincial government by July 31, 2019.

Inquiry timeline

June 2017 – Wettlaufer pleads guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault and is sentenced to life in prison. Public inquiry announced.

January 2018 – Additional police investigations launched after Wettlaufer admits to jailers she tried to harm two additional residents. Inquiry notified about new investigations.

June 2018 – Inquiry public hearings begin at Elgin County Courthouse in St. Thomas.

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